A prevailing method of forming a dye image by use of a silver halide light-sensitive photographic light-sensitive material is carried out in the manner of forming dyes by the reaction of photographic couplers with the oxidation product of a color developing agent as described in James et al. `The Theory of Photographic Process` 4th ed., (1977). Those photographic couplers usually used for color reproduction include magenta, yellow and cyan couplers, and useful examples of the color developing agent include aromatic primary amine type color developing agents. The reaction of such magenta and yellow couplers with the oxiation product of an aromatic primary amine-type color developing agent forms dyes such as azomethine dyes, and the reaction of such a cyan coupler with the same oxidation product forms a dye such as an indoaniline dye.
One of the basic characteristics desired for a dye image that is formed by the reaction of such magenta, yellow and cyan couplers with the oxidation product of a color developing agent is to be excellent in the color reproduction without having any useless absorption in its spectral absorption characteristic. Thus, there have hitherto been proposed various types of couplers for improving the color reproducibility. Generally speaking, however, they have the problem that they, if improved on the spectral absorption characteristic, tend to be deteriorated in the fastness against light.
Particularly, a dye image formed from a magenta coupler is poor in the fastness against light and has many useless absorptions in its spectral absorption characteristic, and thus a demand for its improvement have been made.
As the magenta coupler a pyrazolone-type coupler which is relatively satisfactory in the fastness against light is usually used, but still inadequate in the fastness against light as well as in the spectral absorption characteristic. One method for improving both fastness to light and spectral absorption characteristic is a method of optimizing the structure of the magenta coupler.
There are those 1,2-pyrazolo-5-one-type magenta couplers having an anilino group in the third position thereof as described in Japanese Patent Publication Open to Public Inspection (hereinafter referred to as Japanese Patent O.P.I. Publication) No.111631/1974, U.S. Pat. No. 3,519,429, etc., and the use of these magenta couplers are effective to some extent in improving the fastness to light and spectral absorption characteristic, but still not sufficient.
On the other hand, there have been proposed other methods for improving the fastness to light which include a method of protecting a dye image from ultraviolet rays by use of an ultraviolet absorbing agent; a method of preventing a dye image from being faded by light by use of an antifading agent; a method of making a magenta coupler light-resistant by introducing a light-resistance-providing group thereto; and the like.
Of these methods, the method which uses an ultraviolet absorbing agent needs the use of a relatively large amount of the agent in order to provide a satisfactory light fastness to a dye image, and has the drawback that, in this instance, the dye image or its white background is stained because the ultraviolet absorbing agent itself has a color. And, making the dye image fast against light by an ultraviolet absorbing agent has its limits because prevention of the dye image from fading by visible rays cannot be attained by the ultraviolet absorbing agent alone.
Known as the method which uses an antifading agent is a method of using an antifading agent having a phenolic hydroxyl group or a group capable of being hydrolyzed to produce a phenolic hydroxyl group. Those proposed to be used as such the antifading agent include, for example, phenols and bisphenols; pyrogallol and gallic acid and its esters; .alpha.-toco-pherols and their acyl derivatives; hydroquinone derivatives; 6-hydroxychromans; 5-hydroxychromans; 6,6'-hydroxy-2,2'-bis-spirochromans; and the like. However, these compounds are not considered to be sufficiently effective in preventing the magenta dye image from fading. Besides, any of these compounds, when added in a large amount to a light-sensitive material to raise its effect, tend to deteriorate the characteristics (to soften the gradation) of the light-sensitive material.
Some of these antifading agents, when used, deteriorate the spectral absorption characteristic of a dye formed.
Accordingly, there has been a demand for developing a method of improving the dye image's fastness against light without deteriorating the photographic characteristic or gradation and the spectral absorption characteristic or half band width of a magenta image of a photographic light-sensitive material.